Assignment 5 - 1 Weekly Analysis of Online Games

This week I would like to talk about online games  One of the newer online games is called COMBAT ARMS.  COMBAT ARMS is a game that you can play on your computer with people from around the world.  This game is based on the army and you get upgraded in rank, beginning with a trainee and a few supplies.  Once you get enough “kills” under your belt you go up in rank.  The more “kills” you get the higher in rank you go and then you can obtain more and better supplies and weapons.  This game is not for me but it does help teach the players about the ranks of the army and the different weapons that are used.

This is a popular online game to play because you can be from Ohio and play with, or against, someone that lives in Tokyo, Japan.  My sons just recently starting playing this game and I may not totally agree with this game, but they like the interaction and learning about the other parts of the world.  You can communicate with the other players by using a microphone and actually talk to the other players from around the world. 

My issue, with any and all online games, is that children and even adults these days are not getting the exercise that they need.  They might get the interaction they need to get with talking and learning but that cannot replace the physical activities that people need to stay healthy.

Assignment 4 - 1 Weekly Written Analysis of Do It Yourself Tax Programs

This week I chose to discuss taxes and the do it yourself programs.  It seems to be very popular these days that people are doing their own taxes online.  E-filing is the way to get these days and instead of paying an arm and a leg for someone else to do them, why not do your own taxes yourself?  I think the online websites that are offering these services are great if you know what you are doing.  I personally have used the Taxact program.  There is also Turbotax and the new H & R Block online services you can use for free. 

            I am an Accounting major and I love to do taxes.  I do not like the long form and I personally think that these programs are good and very easy to understand and use.  I also think that more and more people are using these in this day and age because they can’t afford to lose a few hundred dollars for someone else doing their taxes.  The funny thing is, if you do them yourself and save the few hundred dollars, you will get your money back in the same amount of time.  So, why would anybody in their right mind waste the gas to get to a company and have them file for you when you can sit down at your very own computer and enter the same information in and get the same results? 

            I think that within a few years these companies that offer their services will lose over half of their clientele.  This will solely be due to these online programs becoming more and more popular today.  These programs are saving people hundreds of dollars and I am all for saving money in this economy.

Weekly Written Analysis Week 3 Assignment 3 - 1

American Idol

            Do you want to be the next American Idol?  This American Idol phenomenon is a world hit and sensation.  Ten years ago one of the most popular reality shows of all time premiered and became an overnight sensation.  It started out with judges being Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson and has had numerous guest judges over the years.  This year the judges are Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and still the famous Randy Jackson.  This show has helped many young and upcoming artists to fulfill their dreams.  Yet is has also broken and crushed many dreams too.  The good thing is that at least they tried and can try again every year until they reach the age limit.  Even if they did not make it to Hollywood week or the top twenty four finalists, they at least tried their little hearts out to be on the stage and meet the judges.  Some people try to sing and know they can’t and I think that they just try out for a joke and that is not right because some people take it very seriously.  Your dreams should not be taken lightly and everyone should pursue them.  The only issue I have with this American Idol is that the judges can be very harsh at times.  I actually watched the first show last night of Season 10 and Jennifer Lopez actually hard a very hard time trying to tell people no.  She finally got into the swing of things of turning people away but the auditions were pretty good last night for the most part. 

            I, however, feel that most of the people are just showing up at the auditions just to get their face on television.  But I do think that if you got the pipes then this show is definitely for you.  You can become an overnight sensation with just the right help and with this new popular television show, this gives you all the help you need.

Assignment 2 - 1 Twilight Saga

The Twilight Saga

            Ah, the wonderful books made into movies about a love story with this one girl, who seems to be an outcast, and a vampire who is like no other.  Bella, the outcast, can’t handle life with her mother when she gets remarried so Bella is shipped off to live with her dad thousands of miles away in a dreary little town in Washington State.  Wouldn’t you know it; she meets this guy who seems to be a little mysterious.  Edward, this mysterious guy who of course is a vampire, and his family are the non-drinking blood type of vampires.  He has the bad boy image with all the right things to say and of course the great looks.  It was like love at first site between the two and the romance began and turned into a series of four movies.  And we all know how this is going to end up, or do we?  Just when you think everything is going to work, a new group of vampires comes to town that will drink blood and tries to get in the way of the love of Bella and Edward.

            With the second installment, New Moon, Bella still finds herself caught up in danger while trying to get what she always wanted.  That is the love that her and Edward share.  However, it is so difficult to get there seeing that he is a vampire and she is human and her longtime friend, Jacob, also has an agenda and a secret himself.  So many dangers lurk around her and she realizes why Edward and his family left town to begin with.  She still yearns for his love and is willing to do whatever it takes.

            This brings us to the third installment called Eclipse.   Now caught in a love triangle with Edward and Jacob, Bella still finds herself in a dilemma having to choose between the two that could start a fight amongst Edward the vampire and Jacob the werewolf.  With graduation coming soon, she has a very important decision to make and if you haven’t watched the movies or read the books yet, I cannot leak anymore information out.  Sorry.

            I think all of this could have been put into one movie like all the other movies with this same theme.  However, why would anyone want to do that when they can draw it out and make a crazed phenomenon about it?  The teenage girls are going crazy over this Twilight Saga and I do not understand why.  I mean it is good but why is it so different than any other great love story?

Assignment 2 - 2 Icon Analysis

The three icons I chose to write about are Elvis, Michael Jackson and Nostradamus.  All three of these icons have their own significance in history.  Elvis was the king of rock ‘n’ roll and sold over a billion records worldwide.  He is considered to be the one of the most important people of the twentieth century and popular culture (Elvis, 2011).  Michael Jackson is considered to be a more influential artist of all-time (Michael, 2011).  He has sold over 750 million records worldwide and was inducted in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame twice and was also recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records (Michael, 2011).  Nostradamus was a French physician and astrologist from the 1500’s.  He was just an ordinary man that has made over 1,000 predictions about the world and what might happen.  Funny thing is though; over half of them predictions have come true.

                I chose Elvis, Michael Jackson and Nostradamus because they all have a significant meaning in my life.  I chose Elvis because he is one of my favorite singers of all times.  I love all of his movies and his voice, to me, is that of an angels.  His voice is so tender and true and believable.  I chose Michael Jackson because as a child he was the king of pop.  I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and his songs had meaning.  I liked the fact that he cared about the world and wanted to make a difference in everybody’s lives.  I chose Nostradamus because the way he has predicted things in the world and they have actually came true is a bit intimidating to me.  My mother in law is telling me new things every day that he has predicted and little by little they are happening.  It is kind of scary to think that a man from so many years ago could predict what would happen many years after his death.

                What do these icons mean to me?  Well, Elvis was born poor and he did not let any of that affect him at all.  He took the gift that he was given and turned his life around and became loved and adored by millions around the world.  He showed the world that it does not matter who you are or where you come from, that anyone can do anything they want to if they just put their minds to it.  Michael showed us that just because you come from a family that had so many issues that you could still help as many people as you could even if it was only with your lyrics in a song.  He touched so many people, families and countries around the world.  Nostradamus is a little more difficult to explain.  To me, this icon means that he may be right about the world.  He has predicted so many things that have came true it is scary to think if the world will really end in 2012.  When you sit back and look at his predictions and really think about them, you will start to question life yourself. 

References:

Elvis Presley (2011). Biography.  Official Site of the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.  Retrieved January 11, 2011

                www.elvis.com

Michael Jackson (2011).  The King of Pop Biography.  Retrieved January 11, 2011 from

                www.michaeljackson.com

Keyes, Bradley (1996). Nostradamus.  Could he see the future?.  Retrieved January 11, 2011 from

                http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/Nostradamus

And so many years later....Assignment 1 - 2

http://www.kissrocks.net/index.htm


http://clarkbunch.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/the-intellectual-gene-simmons/


When I think of pop culture I mainly thing of what or who has been around and is still in the public eye.  I remember listening to Kiss when I was growing up and watching my dad and his friends party and play cards every weekend at my house and my uncles house.  To see the lead singer of Kiss, Gene Simmons back then, and to think he is still very popular is amazing to me.  Gene is a very smart man and not only does he sing great at 60 years old, he is a very good business man as well.  He and his band mates started KISS 36 years ago and since then they have traveled around the world and performed for millions.  Kiss owns over 2,500 licenses for merchandise along with a coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach.  KISS has been in commercials, on stamps, on pop bottles and credit cards.  Gene himself, has owned a football team, been on the Apprentice with Donald Trump, Ugly Betty, Thrid Watch and many more.  He has written two books that made it the New Yorks Times Best Selling Book lists and now currently has his own television show on A&E called Gene Simmons Family Jewels.  This show just celebrated its 100th episode and is currently airing.  He is a producer, manager, father and partner, not a husband, to Shannon Tweed which is 25 years in the making.  They have two children, Nick and Sophi together and their family makes for a great show and I have learned quite a lot just from the few years their show has been on.

http://www.aetv.com/gene-simmons-family-jewels/index.jsp

Reality Television Assignment 1 - 4

            I would like to discuss reality television.  Whatever happened to people telling a story the way we were used to as a child.  Whatever happened to the “Once upon a time”, and the “happily ever after” stories?  These days it is all about what we make happen and who do we contact to get to that point.  It is kind of the same concept but different at the same time.  Before life just happened and we dealt with it as it was handed to us and now we are given options of what we are to do.

With the Extreme Makeover show, you fill out an application and it states right on it to be as sympathetic as possible and the more sympathetic you are, the more likely you are to get picked.  With the Biggest Loser weight loss show, the bigger you are or the more health problems you have the more likely you are to get chosen.  Then the famous Bachelor or Bachelorette shows.  The men and women do not get to pick the original 20, 25 or even 30 men or women that start out the show.  So how do we really know they will find true love or not?  Not only that, how can you put a time limit on finding a real true love that will last forever?

            Then there is the Amazing Race where people actually have to work and figure out the clues to get to the next level or as they call it, pit stop.  Last one there, well you’re a rotten egg and off the show you go.  I just wish they would have a family Amazing Race and I would definitely apply. 

            Some of the other reality television shows these days are really messed up in my book though.  Like Jersey Shore or the Bad Girls Club, for instance, they are portraying sex and partying in a good light when in fact it is not good at all to portray it that way.  Sad thing is, it is illegal to drink and drive yet I have seen the people on these shows go out and drink and get right back in their cars and drive home.  Where is the reality in that?  I mean I know it happens in real life everyday but the reality is that is it illegal and they still let them do it.  What is that saying to all who watch the shows?